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Survey of private and for-profit providers of higher education in the UK 2009/10 - Provisional figures

HESA has run a survey to capture information about the number and size of private and for-profit providers of higher education in the UK. This work builds on the Universities UK report of March 2010 which examined the role of private and for-profit providers in the delivery of higher education in the UK and explored the different types of provider that fall into this category.

The survey was undertaken at this time to provide information about the extent of private provision within the more extensive higher education landscape referenced in the Browne review. It also aims to provide data in anticipation of the Higher Education White Paper which will be addressing the issues of the "level playing field" for example in the access by students attending private HE providers to state student finance.

Survey responses show a sector that, in 2010, taught nearly 38,000 students on higher education courses and a further 18,000 on FE-level courses. It also highlighted the activity of providers that offer pathways into higher education programmes at publicly-funded higher education institutions.

Summary results table

Table 1 shows a summary of the responses to the survey. This analysis excludes institutions that offered only FE-level provision, but where an institution had both FE and HE-level provision, both categories are included.

Table 1 Student registrations at Private HE providers 2009/10 by Mode, Level, Subject area and Domicile
  Further Education   Other Undergraduate   First Degree   Postgraduate    
Subject area Full-time Part-time Distance
Learning
  Full-time Part-time Distance
Learning
  Full-time Part-time Distance
Learning
  Full-time Part-time Distance
Learning
  Total
                                   
Laboratory-based subjects
United Kingdom 0 0 0   0 0 0   272 0 0   18 0 0   290
European Union 0 0 0   0 0 0   187 0 0   2 0 0   189
Non-European-Union 4 0 0   0 0 0   215 0 0   97 0 0   316
Total 4 0 0   0 0 0   674 0 0   117 0 0   795
                                   
Subjects with a studio, laboratory or fieldwork element
United Kingdom 245 250 0   686 0 0   708 14 0   8 24 16   1951
European Union 0 100 0   81 0 0   116 2 0   4 24 0   327
Non-European-Union 0 0 0   85 0 0   591 3 0   233 18 0   930
Total 245 350 0   852 0 0   1415 19 0   245 66 16   3208
                                   
Business, management and law
United Kingdom 78 0 13461   97 8 1813   3362 1202 314   5966 1801 121   28223
European Union 111 0 72   16 5 25   1108 26 19   338 88 8   1816
Non-European-Union 591 0 3043   1744 6 288   3622 45 112   5597 142 23   15213
Total 780 0 16576   1857 19 2126   8092 1273 445   11901 2031 152   45252
                                   
Other subjects
United Kingdom 182 0 80   804 66 25   1090 107 30   524 375 37   3320
European Union 22 4 0   68 2 0   175 3 2   136 60 7   479
Non-European-Union 47 0 0   469 5 0   1608 121 4   565 125 30   2974
Total 251 4 80   1341 73 25   2873 231 36   1225 560 74   6773
                                   
Total 1280 354 16656   4050 92 2151   13054 1523 481   13488 2657 242   56028

Student numbers by provider

Table 2 shows the number of students reported for each provider. Where relevant, the number of FE students is also shown to provide an overall picture of the providers in this sector.

Table 2 - Student numbers by Mode, Level and Provider
                                 
  Further Education   Other Undergraduate   First Degree   Postgraduate  
Provider Full-time Part-time Distance
Learning
  Full-time Part-time Distance
Learning
  Full-time Part-time Distance
Learning
  Full-time Part-time Distance
Learning
Total
                                 
Academy of Contemporary Music 225 0 0   360 0 0   551 0 0   0 0 0 1136
All Nations Christian College 0 0 0   50 2 0   17 0 0   4 11 0 84
Amercian InterContinental University London 0 0 0   21 0 0   676 0 0   67 0 0 764
Anglo European College of Chiropractic 0 0 0   0 0 0   591 0 0   0 59 16 666
Ashridge 0 0 0   0 0 0   0 0 0   28 221 58 307
                                 
Azad University (IR) in Oxford 0 0 0   0 0 0   0 0 0   26 0 0 26
BPP University of Professional Studies 0 0 0   0 0 35   1377 394 121   2282 691 21 4921
Birmingham International College 0 0 0   0 0 0   500 0 0   150 0 0 650
Brighton and Bristol Institutes of Modern Music 151 0 0   449 0 0   689 0 0   0 11 0 1300
British Institute of Technology and E-commerce 0 0 0   0 0 0   325 0 0   2058 0 0 2383
                                 
Castle College of Management Sciences 40 0 0   0 0 0   0 0 0   5 0 0 45
Champneys College Of Health and Beauty 0 0 0   31 6 0   0 0 0   0 1 0 38
Chaucer College Canterbury 0 0 0   0 0 0   73 95 0   0 0 0 168
Cromwell College of IT and Management 30 0 0   40 0 0   25 0 0   200 0 0 295
Delamar Academy 0 0 0   23 0 0   0 0 0   0 0 0 23
                                 
East London College 6 0 0   88 0 0   44 0 0   0 0 0 138
Franciscan International Study Centre 10 0 0   8 0 0   0 0 0   14 4 7 43
Free Church of Scotland College 0 0 0   0 3 0   19 0 0   3 0 3 28
Girne American University Canterbury 0 0 0   9 0 0   33 0 0   0 0 0 42
Greenwich School of Management 159 0 0   19 19 0   436 0 0   498 87 0 1218
                                 
Guildhall College 0 0 0   695 0 0   38 0 0   353 0 0 1086
Hansard Society 0 0 0   0 0 0   57 0 0   21 0 0 78
ifs School of Finance 0 0 16576   0 0 1133   0 0 208   0 0 0 17917
International Christian College 0 0 70   0 0 0   118 33 0   14 36 0 271
Irish School of Ecumenics, Trinity College Dublin 0 0 0   0 0 0   0 0 0   9 2 0 11
                                 
Kaplan UK 0 0 0   190 0 958   899 0 51   1181 0 0 3279
Kings Bible College and Training Centre 0 0 0   20 0 0   0 0 0   0 0 0 20
Leyton College 0 0 0   0 0 0   20 0 0   76 0 0 96
Logos European College 0 0 0   0 0 0   0 8 2   0 4 1 15
London Business College 0 0 0   234 0 0   0 0 0   106 0 0 340
                                 
London Premier College 0 0 0   159 0 0   0 0 0   5 0 0 164
London School of Arts 0 0 0   10 0 0   68 0 0   10 0 0 88
Luther King House Educational Trust 0 0 0   0 0 0   47 33 0   3 48 0 131
Middlesex College of Law 117 0 0   0 0 0   127 0 0   0 0 0 244
Modern Montessori International 0 0 10   6 5 25   0 0 0   0 0 0 46
                                 
MOI College London 0 0 0   227 0 0   0 0 0   96 0 0 323
Montessori Centre International 0 350 0   0 0 0   15 16 0   0 0 0 381
Nazarene Theological College 0 0 0   5 19 0   46 10 0   28 37 33 178
Newbold College 30 4 0   120 1 0   0 0 0   51 56 0 262
Oxford College of London 230 0 0   0 0 0   0 0 0   140 0 0 370
                                 
Oxford Media and Business School 0 0 0   88 0 0   0 0 0   0 0 0 88
PMA Media Training 0 0 0   0 0 0   0 0 0   15 0 0 15
Professional Diving Academy 0 0 0   291 0 0   0 0 0   0 0 0 291
Quartic Training 0 0 0   23 35 0   10 28 0   3 10 0 109
Redcliffe College 0 0 0   23 2 0   36 2 0   12 7 30 112
                                 
Regents College 237 0 0   0 0 0   2484 0 0   1264 287 0 4272
Richmond, The American International University in London 0 0 0   0 0 0   927 33 0   16 0 0 976
Royal Academy Schools 0 0 0   50 0 0   0 0 0   0 0 0 50
Spectra College London 0 0 0   50 0 0   80 0 0   120 0 0 250
St Agnes College 0 0 0   96 0 0   0 0 0   27 0 0 123
                                 
Superior College London 0 0 0   0 0 0   0 0 0   45 0 0 45
TASMAC London School of Business 0 0 0   0 0 0   136 0 0   224 23 0 383
The Aga Khan University International 0 0 0   0 0 0   0 0 0   17 0 0 17
The Chippendale School of Furniture 0 0 0   18 0 0   0 0 0   0 0 0 18
The City College 0 0 0   410 0 0   0 0 0   47 0 0 457
                                 
The College of Law 0 0 0   0 0 0   1509 821 65   3740 923 73 7131
The Institute of Economic and Political Studies 0 0 0   0 0 0   41 0 0   0 0 0 41
The Management School London 0 0 0   0 0 0   0 0 0   0 53 0 53
The Royal School of Needlework 0 0 0   17 0 0   0 0 0   0 0 0 17
The School of Sound Recording 20 0 0   133 0 0   175 0 0   5 0 0 333
                                 
The University of Buckingham 0 0 0   0 0 0   798 47 0   453 37 0 1335
Trinity School of Theology 0 0 0   2 0 0   21 0 0   0 0 0 23
Wales Evangelical School of Theology 0 0 0   0 0 0   39 3 33   40 49 0 164
West George College 25 0 0   85 0 0   0 0 0   25 0 0 135
Westfield House 0 0 0   0 0 0   7 0 1   7 0 0 15
                                 
Total 1280 354 16656   4050 92 2151   13054 1523 481   13488 2657 242 56028

Student numbers by provider type

The Universities UK report described a range of different institution types in this sector and the survey asked institutions to classify themselves into one of four broad groups. Table 3 shows the amount of activity allocated to each of these groups.

Table 3 - Student numbers by Mode, Level and type of Provider
  Further Education   Other Undergraduate   First Degree   Postgraduate  
Provider Full-time Part-time Distance
Learning
  Full-time Part-time Distance
Learning
  Full-time Part-time Distance
Learning
  Full-time Part-time Distance
Learning
Total
                                 
Campus of non-UK university or college 0 0 0   236 0 0   106 95 0   122 2 0 561
Private, for-profit company, wholly UK 670 0 0   2411 54 958   3307 28 51   5216 120 0 12815
Private, for-profit company, international 333 350 10   1002 11 60   2925 410 121   2452 756 21 8451
Private, not-for profit company/charity 277 4 16646   401 27 1133   6716 990 309   5698 1779 221 34201
                                 
Total 1280 354 16656   4050 92 2151   13054 1523 481   13488 2657 242 56028

Notes to tables

All figures contained in this report have been supplied by the individual providers in response to a standard survey questionnaire during the first quarter of 2011. HESA does not routinely audit survey data and the figures presented here are those supplied by the survey respondents.

The University of Buckingham is a full member of HESA. The University submits data through the main HESA collections and is included in standard HESA publications and press releases. The data presented here for The University of Buckingham has been drawn from the main HESA Student Record for 2009/10.

Data for Kaplan UK includes Holborn College, Kaplan Financial (London, Manchester, Glasgow and Birmingham), Kaplan Law School and Kaplan Open Learning.

Survey method

A list of institutions for this survey was created by drawing together lists of private providers from a variety of sources; these included the Quality Assurance Agency, the British Accreditation Council and the Accreditation Service for International Colleges. Using whatever contact emails could be found, the survey was sent by email to these providers in December 2010. Responses were chased during the first quarter of 2011.

Non-respondents

There remain a number of providers that did not make a response to the survey. From those that were investigated, a number of themes emerge. A small number of institutions were, during 2009/10, in the process of establishing themselves and had not yet recruited any students. The survey team also came across some institutions that operate under more than one trading name or that have different branding at different locations.

However, it is accepted that this may not be a definitive list of HE providers. Additions or requests for amendments should be addressed to the HESA Private Providers Project.

Other survey respondents not included in this analysis

The initial list of providers that was collated for this survey included a significant number that, upon further investigation, offered only FE-level qualifications in 2009/10. Many of these institutions did not make a response to the survey though some FE-only institutions did; FE-only institutions are not included in this analysis. The institutions that made a submission but reported exclusively FE-level students for 2009/10 were:

Definitions

As far as possible, the definitions used for this survey reflect the definitions used in HESA publications.

Students included in the survey

Institutions that provided any teaching at HE-level were asked to include all students who were registered for the 2009/10 academic session and who were aiming towards some sort of qualification or credit which can be counted towards a qualification. Although the primary focus of this survey was HE-level students, providers were asked to include other student numbers in order to provide a full picture of their activity. Institutions that returned only FE-level students were excluded from the final results. See the definition of Level (below) for the distinction between HE and FE.

Students on courses that did not lead to any qualification - or credit that can be counted towards a qualification - were not included in the survey.

The traditional concept of the academic year runs from autumn to summer and respondents were asked to provide the number/headcount (not Full-Time Equivalent) of students for this period 2009/10. In cases where the academic year for an institution followed a calendar year then the final figures for 2010 were returned.

Mode

Student numbers were grouped according to whether they were full-time (and in attendance), part-time (and in attendance) or distance learning.

Full-time students are those normally required to attend an institution for periods amounting to at least 24 weeks within the year of study, on thick or thin sandwich courses, and those on a study-related year out of their institution. During that time students are normally expected to undertake periods of study, tuition or work experience which amount to an average of at least 21 hours per week.

Part-time students are those recorded as studying part-time, or studying full-time on courses lasting less than 24 weeks, on block release, or studying during the evenings only.

Distance learning students are those who receive their education at a location of their choosing - not physically on-site in a traditional classroom or laboratory. This category includes any students that are being taught mainly over the internet. Distance Learning students might attend occasional tutorials on-campus though this would not be a significant part of their time commitment.

Level

A postgraduate course is any course for which the normal entry requirement would be a first degree. This includes masters degrees, PhDs and postgraduate certificates and diplomas. It normally equates to levels 7 and 8 in the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) and includes any equivalent qualifications validated by non-UK universities. This category also includes professional qualifications that are at a postgraduate level.

The first degree category includes degrees validated by non-UK universities. This normally equates to level 6 in the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) and includes any equivalent professional qualifications.

Other undergraduate includes all sub-degree Higher Education. This includes Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE), Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE), Higher National Diploma (HND), Higher National Certificate (HNC), foundation degrees and professional qualifications. This normally equates to levels 4 and 5 in the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) and includes any equivalent qualifications validated by non-UK universities.

Further Education and below includes any qualification at levels 1, 2 or 3 in the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). For the purposes of this survey, this category includes any qualifications that are below HE level and therefore not included in the categories above.

Subject

The subject classification used in the survey follows the price groups used by HEFCE but with Business, Management and Law split into a separate category. The subject groups used in this survey were:

Laboratory-based subjects include science, engineering and technology courses

Subjects with a studio, laboratory or fieldwork element include nursing, health, architecture, maths, IT and geography, design and creative arts.

Business, management and law includes any courses that offer professional accreditation in these areas.

Other subjects include languages, social studies and humanities.

Domicile

UK domiciled students are those whose normal residence is in the UK, and for the purposes of this survey do not include Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man.

(Other) European Union (EU) students are those whose normal residence is in countries which are European Union (EU) members. These are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Ireland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

Non-EU domiciles include any country not listed above. This category includes Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man.

Notes for editors

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